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Roman Augustoviz spends Minnesota's winters covering college hockey, specifically the Gophers, and other University of Minnesota sports. During the summer, he writes about the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, with a dose of U sports sprinkled in. Follow him on Twitter @RomanStrib.
Posts about Lynx
Lynx's Moore outshines Catchings in China
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: December 18, 2012 - 1:17 PM
Maya Moore of the Lynx and Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever met again on Saturday halfway around the world.
And this time, Moore's team prevailed.
Moore scored 47 points as the Shanxi Flame beat the Guangdong Dolphins 89-78 in Taiyuan, Shanxi's home city.
Moore made 17 of 32 shots, had 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals.
Catchings had 26 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Dolphins (5-10).
Maybe Moore should have taken a few more shots in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals in Indianapolis, which the Fever won to win the series 3-1 over the favored Lynx.
A boxscore from Moore's game on Saturday is here.
Shanxi had another game on Tuesday. And Moore was not quite as dominant. She only had 43 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five steals and three blocks as Shanxi beat Yunnan 92-72 win. The Flame are 13-3 now, in first place in the WCBA with six regular season games left.
Elizabeth Cambage’s Zhejiang team is 11-4 in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association standings.
Before Tuesday's game, Moore was averaging 41.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. She is shooting 55.6% (65-for-117) from the field and 40.0% (26-for-65) from three-point range. She probably should be wearing a big S for Superwoman on her jersey.
Catchings was averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game after her team's loss to the Flame on 60.3% (38-for-63) shooting.
WNBA to extend three-point line
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: December 13, 2012 - 12:36 PMThe WNBA announced a couple of rule changes this morning.
They will extend the three-point line and get tough on "flopping."
The three-point line will move from 20 feet, 6-1/4 inches to 22, 1-3/4, which is the international distance.
Shooting the three-pointer and defending it were among the Lynx's strengths last season as they compiled the best record in the WNBA (27-7) during the regular season.
The Lynx tied for first with Indiana in three-point shooting percentage. Both shot 40%. They Lynx averaged 16.62 three-point attempts per game, eighth in the WNBA.
Seimone Augustus shot a team-best 43.7 percent, which ranked fourth in the WNBA. Also in the top 25 were Candice Wiggins (20th, 39.7%) and Maya Moore (T-22, 38.8%).
Defensively, Minnesota held opponents to 32.7% shooting from long range. Only Los Angeles held opponents to a lower three-point percentage (32.2%).
Here's the league's release:
The WNBA will implement new rules regarding flopping and defensive three-seconds, while also extending the three-point line, Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations Renee Brown announced today following the league’s Board of Governor’s Meeting. The rules will go into effect beginning with the 2013 season.
“Flops that are intended to mislead referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into believing a foul call was missed are a detriment to the game," Brown said. "With that, both the Board of Governors and the Competition Committee felt strongly that a player who, upon video review by the league, is believed to have committed a flop will, after an initial warning, be given an automatic penalty.”
“Flopping” will be defined as any physical act that, upon review, reasonably appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player.
The primary factor in determining if a player committed a flop is whether her physical reaction to an action by another player (whether or not that action resulted in contact) is inconsistent with what would reasonably be expected given the force, direction, or nature of the action of the other player. An example would be a player who lunges, flails, or falls following minimal or non-existent contact with an opponent.
Physical acts that constitute legitimate basketball plays (such as moving to a spot in order to draw an offensive foul) and minor physical reactions to contact will not be treated as flops.
During preseason games, warning will be given for acts judged to be flops. Any player who is determined to have committed a flop during the regular season will, upon the first offense, receive a warning. Subsequent violations will result in fines of increasing amounts. Beginning with a sixth violation, a player will be subject to a further increased fine and/or suspension.
The league will announce at a later date a separate set of penalties for flopping that will apply during the playoffs.
The three-point line will be extended from 20 feet, 6 1/4 inches to 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches, consistent with the distance inherent in all FIBA competitions.
“We extended the line to its current distance of 20 feet, 6 1/4 inches in 2004 and our three-point shooting percentage increased,” said Brown. “Since then the talent level and the athleticism of our players has only continued to increase; and with a significant percentage of our players also playing – and excelling – internationally, this brings us into line with the international game. The extended three-point line and defensive three-second rule will create spacing and open up the lane. The improved spacing will create increased opportunities for athletic players to drive to the basket and either shoot or pass the ball back out to open players on the perimeter.”
Under the new defensive three-second rule, a violation will result in a technical foul being assessed if a defensive player violates the “actively guarding” guidelines. Following the free throw for the technical foul, the offense will maintain possession of the ball at the free throw line extended.
Slight changes also have been made with regard to the use of instant replay as it pertains to flagrant fouls and the restricted area.
Whereas previous rules allowed for replay review of Flagrant Foul 2’s but not Flagrant Foul 1’s, the level of the foul will now be assigned only after the play has been reviewed. Replay procedures are also being instituted during the final minute of regulation and overtime if officials determine the offensive player committed the illegal contact but are uncertain as to whether the defender was inside or outside the restricted area.
Lynx overseas: Moore scores 53 in China, but team loses
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: December 13, 2012 - 11:27 AMThe Lynx sent out an update on their overseas players today.
Here is the latest:
* Maya Moore scored 37 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, had four assists and swiped three steals to lead Shanxi to its league-best 11th win of the WCBA season on Tuesday, edging Bayi 81-61.
On Saturday, Shaxi had its 10-game winning streak snapped despite Moore’s 53-points and 13 rebounds. Moore was 18-of-30 (.600) from the floor in the loss to Zhejiang. Liz Cambage, a 6-8 center for Tulsa in the WNBA, had 49 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks for Zhejiang.
Since Moore joined Shanxi two games into the WCBA season, the Flame are a league-best 11-1. She had 60 points in one of her first games.
An AP story on Moore's life in China can be found here.
* Lindsay Whalen had a season-high eight assists yesterday as Galatasaray edged Novi Zagreb 77-50 in EuroLeague play. Whalen added eight points on 4-for-6 shooting while grabbing three rebounds. Galatasaray is 6-1 in Euroleague play, sitting in second place in Group C behind UMMC (6-0).
In Turkish League play Saturday, Whalen scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and had three assists in a 71-56 win over Canik Belediyesi.
* Seimone Augustus had 10 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal Wednesday as Spartak V MR won 83-79 over Tarsus Belediyesi.
* Rebekkah Brunson dominated in Euroleague play Wednesday, scoring a game-high 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Brunson was 8-for-12 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free throw line to lead USK Praha to a 78-65 win over Perfumerias.
* Amber Harris had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Bichumi in a 67-51 loss to Woori Hansae on Sunday. Harris added three steals and a pair of assists as Bichumi (8-9) had its four game winning streak snapped.
* Devereaux Peters had 12 points and rebounds (seven offensive) to lead Lucca (7-1) to its seventh consecutive win Sunday in the Italian League, a 61-45 victory over Pozzuoli.
* Monica Wright scored seven points for Dandenong on Saturday in the WNBL Australian league as the Rangers lost 72-79 to Bendigo Bar.
* Jessica Adair had 10 points, four rebounds and blocked four shots in Townsville’s 85-72 win over Logan in the Australian Women's National Basketball League on Friday.
Lynx update: Players scattered all over the globe
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: November 14, 2012 - 11:29 AMMore than 4,000 people have viewed a YouTube video of Maya Moore scoring 60 points for Shanxi Xing Rui against Yunnan in a recent game in China.
It is available here.
She was 19 of 43 from the floor. Forty-three shots? That's crazy. What are the other players doing? Her team won 93-88 in overtime.
Her team started the season 0-2 without her, but has won four in a row with her.
Wonder what the Lynx are thinking about the way Moore is being used? If she is the No. 1, 2 and 3 scoring option on her Chinese team, how tired will she be for the WNBA season?
On Tuesday, Moore had a ho-hum 30 points as Shanxi Xing Rui beat Liaoning 81-57. She also had 10 rebounds and five assists.
Here is what Moore did in her first three games in China:
1) 37 pts., 17 rebs., 5 assists, 4 steals ... team won by 13
2) 34 pts., 16 rebs., 1 assist, 4 steals ... team won by eight
3) 60 pts., 13 rebs., 2 assists, 5 steals, team won by three
Here's how other Lynx players are doing in the "offseason":
* Lynx point guard Lindsay Whalen scored 21 points -- on 10 shots -- and had four assists in 21 minutes as her Galatasaray team rolled to a 100-42 victory over Edremit in the Turkish Basketball League.
* Rebekkah Brunson scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds off the bench as USK Praha -- Whalen's former team -- rolled to a 100-72 win over Valosun Brno.USK Praha is 10-0 in the Czech Republic Basketball League.
* Seimone Augustus scored 12 points for Sparta&K in an 87-75 loss to Nadezhda Orenburg in the Russian League.
* Devereaux Peters scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds as Lucca won 73-45 over Chieti in the Italian League.
* Monica Wright and Jessica Adair will be playing in Australia, and Amber Harris in South Korea.
* Candice Wiggins and Erin Thorn are not playing overseas.
* Center Taj McWilliams-Franklin, after years of playing overseas this winter, is an assistant coach for Rice University. The Owls defeated Prairie View A&M 57-42 on Friday in their first game. ... Rice plays at Tennessee on Thursday.
.Part of the Rice bio on Mama Taj:
Long-time WNBA standout Taj McWilliams-Franklin joined the Rice women's basketball staff as an assistant coach in May of 2012, but will not formally be on campus until after the conclusion of the 2012 WNBA season.
"We are pleased and excited to add Taj McWilliams-Franklin to our staff," Rice head coach Greg Williams stated. "Having coached vs. Taj in the WNBA, I have always respected her abilities, her competitiveness, leadership, and tremendous desire to win. She brings instant credibility to our players and her expertise in the post position will greatly benefit our young post players.
"Taj was an outstanding student-athlete at St. Edwards University who will be comfortable with our academic requirements and a positive role model for all of our players. She is an outstanding person who brings great energy and enthusiasm to Rice Women's Basketball," Williams concluded.
"I am thrilled and excited to be chosen by coach Greg Williams and Rice University to participate in the successful growth and development of the women's basketball program," said McWilliams-Franklin. "I have nothing but the highest regard for Coach Williams and I am looking forward to becoming a contributing member of his staff as well as part of the Rice community."
Currently a member of the Minnesota Lynx, McWilliams-Franklin is a 14-year WNBA veteran and a six-time WNBA All-Star.
Who let Lynx down in Game 4, Augustus or Reeve?
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: October 24, 2012 - 1:12 AMIndiana coach Lin Dunn said her Fever's 3-1 series win over the Lynx was so unexpected, her team was a bit like Rudy, the walk-on at Notre Dame in football who never gave up. His story became an inspirational movie.
"Nobody thought we could do it except us," Dunn said.
In Game 4, the strategy seemed to be to let Seimone Augustus do it. The veteran guard took 21 shots -- seven more than any other starter, 11 more than five bench players combined.
Here is a breakdown of Augustus' 3 for 21 night -- which was bad from the start:
First quarter
Missed 9-foot jump shot off opening tip, 9:46, 0 x 1
Missed 7-foot jumper. 9:35. 0 x 2
Missed 11-foot jumper, 7:38, 0 x 3
Missed 22-foot jumper, 6:02, 0 x 4
Missed 22-foot jumper, 5:35, 0 x 5
Missed 4-foot jumper, blocked by Shavonte Zellous, 2:51, 0 x 6
Missed 16-foot jumper, :01.9, 0 x 7
Augustus was 0 x 7 after first quarter, teammates 6 x 14. She had one rebound. She drove to the basket several times, but Fever did not foul her and blocked one of her shots. She played 8:53. ... Lynx trailed 25-18.
Second quarter
Made first basket, 17-foot jumper, 9:04, 1 x 8
Fouled by Tamika Catchings, makes two free throws, 7:58, never went to the free throw line again
Made 1-foot finger roll layup on drive, 5:04, 2 x 9 ... Lynx within 37-36
Missed 6-foot jumper, 4:20, 2 x 10
Missed 1-foot layup, 4:00, 2 x 11
Missed 21-foot jumper, 2:53, 2 x 12
Missed 12-foot jump shot, :06.9, 2 x 13
Augustus was 2 x 6 and also made two free throws for six points and had three rebounds playing all 10 minutes. ... Lynx trail 47-42
Third quarter
Made 5-foot jump shot, 7:07, 3 x 14 ... this was last shot she would make, started 0 x 7 and ended 0 x 7
Missed 18-foot jump shot, 6:41, 3 x 15
Missed 13-foot jump shot, 3:11, 3 x 16
Missed 17-foot jump shot, blocked by Jessica Davenport, 1:05, 3 x 17 ... score still close, 61-58 in Indiana's favor
Missed 21-foot jump shot, :00.8 3 x 18
Augustus took shots in the last 7 seconds of first, second and third quarters, missed them all. ... She was 1 x 5 with one steal, one turnover in third quarter. Played all 10 minutes. So through three quarters, she sat for 67 seconds in first quarter. ... Lynx trailed 63-58
Fourth quarter
Augustus started on bench, went in with 7:19 left, eight seconds later, she took her a shot ...
Missed 5-foot jumper, 7:11, 3 x 19
Missed 13-foot jumper, 6:30, 3 x 20
Missed 15-foot jumper, 5:19, 5:19, 3 x 21
Augustus was taken out with 3:20 left, replaced by Monica Wright and did not return. Score at the time was 75-67 Indiana ... She was 0 x 3 in 3:59 of four quarter. She finished 3 x 21, 0 x 4 on three-pointers. She had seven rebounds, but zero assists -- not looking to pass this game -- one steal an two turnovers.
Afterward, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said she fel terrible for Augustus. She also should have felt terrible for whoever drew up this game plan: Just keep shooting Seimone, your shots will fall -- or the Lynx will.
The Lynx play at their best when everyone is contributing. In this game when Augustus got the ball, all she did was shoot and shoot. Even in the fourth quarter she was shooting nearly every time she touched the ball..
And nothing was falling. Indiana had their best perimeter defender on her, Briann January, a member of the all-defensive team. Most impressive was January never put Augustus on the line. Her two free throws came after Catchings fouled her.
"My teammates did a great job," Augustus said. "They fought hard and kept us in the game as long as they could. That is all you could have asked for. ... We struggled shooting the entire series."
Said Indiana coach Lin Dunn of Augustus, "She is an awesome player. But Briann January if a first team, all-WNBA defensive player. ... She is tougher than nails on defense. And when you look at the games where -- the last two games where Augustus has struggled, let's give Briann January credit and let's give the rest of the team credit.
"When [Augustus] got by January, somebody else was there. I really think our defense and our phsyical defense really bothered her."
Augustus shot 14.3 percent in Game 4, her teammates 53.7 percent. Maybe coach Cheryl Reeve should have told her she didn't have to win Game 4 by herself like she tried to do.
Her 21 shots were the second-most she has taken this season. She took 23 shots in Game 2 vs. Indiana, a 83-71 Lynx win. That night, she was 11 for 23 and scored 23 of her 27 points in the second half.
THEY SAY
* Lynx center Taj McWilliams-Franklin: "It all really came down to losing Game 1 at home, losing home court advantage."
Taj on whether she will play next season: "Tough question. I don't make decisions based on emotions ever. I haven't made a decision on my future yet before February and I won't start tonight [Sunday]."
* Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson: "They [the Fever] are a great club and it's their time."
DUNNISMS
"We probably don't have as much talent as they do," Dunn said, "so we had to win the old-fashioned way, with great defense, with rebounding, with toughness. And then, of course, we had to use the bench as best we could.
"But we knew if we ever let them separate, we'd be in trouble. And that's what happened to us in the third quarter [of Game 2]. The crazy quarter with the flying jacket. They separated and then we never could overcome it."
Dunn also said emotions played a big role in the series.
"Everybody talks about the missing piece in Tamika Catchings' career," Dunn said, referring to an WNBA title. "I really believe our players took that personally. I really believe that was an incentive, and then when Katie [Douglas] went down, they wanted to win it for her. A lot of emotional things came into play here that somehow overcame the talent."
ETC.
* Catchings, the clear MVP of the WNBA Finals, averaged 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
* The Lynx shot 28.6 percent in the first quarter of Game 4,tying the lowest mark in WNBA history set buy Detroit in 2003 vs. Los Angeles.
* Guard Candice Wiggins of the Lynx played only 2 minutes, 14 seconds. She suffered a whiplash injury in the first quarter.
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